Shaft

1971

US

1h 40min

15

Directed by: Gordon Parks

Cast: Richard Roundtree, Moses Gunn, Charles Cioffi

Male model Roundtree is the eponymous hero, whose job it is to find and rescue the daughter of black Mafia boss Bumpy Jonas (Gunn). On his travels Shaft encounters the local black power movement, a handful of uptight, doughnut-eating cops, and a number of shady hitmen up for what Shaft calls 'kicking my black ass'. A huge commercial success in the US, Shaft opened the eyes of American studio bosses to the potential black cinema market, which had relegated black actors to Uncle Tom roles. It may look dated, but it captured a moment in time and did so with style.